Is There Internet Addiction?
A few days ago I read a joke that said; ” There is no horror movie that surpasses the sensation of touching your pocket and feeling that your mobile phone is not there “. .. There is some truth in these words. Currently, communicating and accessing information instantly is already an aspect of our life that we assume naturally. But what happens when using the Internet becomes an urgent need that leads to spending up to 10 hours a day connected? Is there an Internet addiction? What are their characteristics? Why is it so controversial?
Internet addiction or cyber addiction
Internet addiction (IAD) or cyber addiction, refers to an excessive, problematic and pathological use in some cases, of the network. For this, different devices are usually used in addition to the computer, which allow connecting to the Internet, such as mobile phones, tablets, among others. Those who maintain the existence of said addiction, point to the subjects with difficulties to relate outside of cyberspace, as the highest risk group, differentiating two profiles:
1) People who spend hours participating in chats, forums and exchanging emails, trying to integrate into a social atmosphere that stimulates them and to which they feel they belong.
2) Subjects very interested in the different possibilities offered by the Internet, and those that allow connection. Hence, they spend hours playing games, downloading programs, looking for information, etc., but not contacting other users. Social interaction, especially with several people at the same time, they find it chaotic, preferring relatively predictable and controllable environments.
Those who adhere to this theory also report that their patients mention:
* Feeling out of control when connecting.
* Feel more uninhibited, protected and confident.
* Subjectively experience that time stands still.
* Perceive a feeling of closeness, intimacy, when they connect.
The speed and intensity of the exchanges or information accessed, and the accessibility of the network itself, are characteristics of the Internet that would enhance its addiction.
In addition to reducing the time dedicated to important areas, such as family, work and social, those who would suffer from Internet addiction, could also have difficulty sleeping (with its repercussions on performance), problems in eating (with consequences in the weight), decrease or abandonment of personal hygiene, obsessive thoughts about the Internet and what is being done in it lately (leading to a lot of anxiety).
Addiction or overuse?
However, the latter could respond to other pathologies. Those who oppose this theory, affirm that it should not be attributed to a supposed “addiction to the Internet”, all the psychological problems presented by a subject who uses it excessively. They argue that an addiction itself involves a chemical component. Hence, officially speaking of “excessive use”, originated in other causes such as difficulties in social ties, for example, but not in the Internet itself. In fact, there are those who claim that the term “Internet addiction” may have come from a joke spread by email.
Internet addiction is not found in the DSM manuals of the American Psychiatric Association, references for the diagnosis of mental disorders.
The truth is, that cases where there is an excessive practice that significantly affects different areas of the routine, deserve to be treated seriously in the psychological office. Is there an Internet addiction? A true answer to this question leads to a journey of work and personal discovery.
